Game Recap: Phoenix Suns get run out of the gym by Blazers in brutal 127-108 loss

Suns put up little resistance as Portland cruises to an easy win.

The Phoenix Suns rolled into Rip City on Saturday night for the first of two matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers. And promptly got stomped. Portland ran Phoenix out of the Moda Center, cruising to a dominant 127-108 win while exposing every crack in the Suns’ defense.

Devin Booker was the lone bright spot, dropping 37 points and inching closer to Walter Davis’ franchise scoring record. But outside of Book, it was a disaster. The Suns were obliterated in the paint, outscored 66-32 as Deandre Ayton — of course — led Portland with 24 points against his former team. The Blazers had seven players in double figures; Phoenix had just three (Booker 37, Durant 22, Beal 13).

Turnovers were once again the Suns’ undoing. They coughed it up 19 times, gifting Portland 24 points. The Blazers? Just three turnovers through three quarters. Add in 29 fastbreak points, and it was clear: Portland’s youth ran the Suns off the floor.

Phoenix drops to 25-23, left searching for answers. Again.

Game Flow

First Half

From the opening tip, it was clear the Trail Blazers had something you can’t teach: size and length. At every position, the Suns were giving up inches, and while Portland has struggled to rack up wins, their sheer length looked like it could be a problem for Phoenix.

And then there was Deandre Ayton. Talent was never his issue, and he wasted no time reminding everyone of that, throwing down back-to-back alley-oop slams to set the tone early.

Portland controlled most of the first quarter, but Kevin Durant kept the Suns afloat, dropping 11 points to steady the offense. Even with KD’s efforts, the Blazers were locked in, building a nine-point lead before finishing the quarter up 31-27.

Phoenix briefly snatched the lead in the second, but Portland’s relentless attack — inside and out — kept the Suns at arm’s length. Every Suns mini-run was met with a quick response, and before long, a 9-2 Blazers burst had Phoenix staring at an eight-point deficit.

Portland’s youth was on full display, constantly pushing the pace and testing the Suns’ defense. Every missed shot turned into a sprint the other way, forcing Phoenix to scramble just to keep up.

Anfernee Simons took over in the second quarter, dropping 12 of his game-high 14 points as Portland blitzed the Suns. The Blazers closed the half on a dominant 24-9 run, shooting a scorching 57.1% while Phoenix sputtered at 36.4%. The Suns went ice-cold from deep, hitting just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, and the result was ugly.

Portland piled up 30 points while Phoenix managed just 19. The momentum had fully swung, and the Suns were left searching for answers. They shot 3-of-16 from beyond the arc in the first half, were outscored 30-18 in the paint, and had 7 turnovers to the Blazers’ 3.

61-46 at the half.

Second Half

Devin Booker came out of halftime firing, dropping eight quick points to try and spark the Suns. But while he was heating up, Phoenix’s defense remained ice-cold—especially inside. Deandre Ayton continued rolling to the rim without resistance, effortlessly notching his 15th point on just seven shots.

Booker wasn’t just the hot hand. He was the hand. He single-handedly carried the Suns’ offense, scoring their first 15 points of the quarter. It wasn’t until a desperation, late-shot-clock three from Kevin Durant that someone other than Booker got on the board. Unfortunately, one-man offenses don’t win games, and the Suns’ lack of defensive resistance kept Portland firmly in control.

Phoenix clawed back to within 10, showing a glimmer of life, until Portland stomped it out with a ruthless 8-0 run. In the blink of an eye, the deficit ballooned to 18, and the momentum was gone. The backbreaker? A lazy, ill-advised pass from Bradley Beal that turned into a transition dunk by Toumani Camara, sealing the Suns’ fate in a sequence that perfectly summed up their night.

By the time the third quarter hit the four-minute mark, all five Portland starters — and even a bench player — had already hit double figures. That’s how bad it was.

Devin Booker did everything he could, dropping 18 in the quarter (his highest-scoring frame of the season), but it hardly mattered. The Suns’ defense was a disaster, offering little more than light resistance as Portland torched them for 37 points. Worse yet, the Blazers didn’t commit a single turnover, and Phoenix found itself buried under a 98-79 deficit heading into the fourth.

Frustration boiled over into fouls, and with 8:52 left, down 19, the Suns had already racked up their fifth team foul. Any hope of a late push? Dead on arrival. Portland had a permanent pass to the free-throw line, snuffing out any flicker of momentum before it could even start.

With five minutes left, the Suns waved the white flag and emptied the bench, officially calling it a night. A horrendous defensive showing mercifully came to an end, leaving Phoenix with plenty to think about and little to be proud of.

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Up Next

It’s right back here in Portland on Monday night. See yu then Bright Side!